Now my economist friends tell me that Airbus, though of course a disaster for European taxpayers, was actually a boon to air travellers everywhere, including Americans. By creating real competition for Boeing, Airbus forced down the prices of airliners, even among the lines that continued to buy Boeing. Okay, I’m officially grateful.
Still, having flown 4 hours on an A-319 from Los Angeles to Chicago (where attending the Law & Society meetings will predictably cut into my blogging), I have to say that the operative word in the phrase “Airbus 319″ is “bus.” As in “yellow schoolbus.”
Perhaps it would be possible to make a less comfortable or less attractive jetliner — Boeing made a good try with the 727 and the 737 — but no one has yet managed it.
Airbusted
Mark A.R. Kleiman thinks Airbus is a pretty honest name for the company’s aircraft. Considering that economy-class air travel is essentially equivalent to riding Greyhound these days (with the exception that the hassle at the airport replaces get…